Since the advent of the general store, candies and nuts have been dispensed from wooden barrels and glass jars. Typically such food stuffs are unwrapped not only because of the cost of individual wrapping, but because it was generally believed that the hard surface of the food stuff prevents its contamination by persons reaching in and scooping out a handfull, or by virtue of other casual entry into the container by foreign matter. Since those early days, however, government directives have been issued in ever increasing numbers with regard to standards for maintenance of the sanitary integrity of such food stuffs. Currently, the dispensing of dried fruits and nuts, sunflower seeds, and other food stuffs which are capable of being stored in bulk in containers is heavily regulated and those regulations, as well as good common sense, dictate that the containers be relatively free of contamination in use.
There have been numerous candy dispensing devices, not the least of which is the common gum ball machine, but such devices do not meet the needs of a bulk dispenser. There have also been numerous efforts at developing a liquid dispensing container having limited access to minimize contamination but, again, none of these devices serve the need of the bulk dry foods dispenser. The present invention, as will be evidenced by the detailed disclosure, meets that need.